Choate House on the Pace Pleasantville campus
Human Resources

Graduate Assistant Hiring Process

Fall 2026 Graduate Assistantships

What is a Graduate Assistantship?

Graduate Assistantships are designed for degree-seeking graduate students who wish to gain professional experience that complements their academic program. These roles provide meaningful opportunities to engage in academic, administrative, and/or research activities while supporting students’ educational goals.

Assistantship responsibilities vary and may include:

  • Supporting faculty research and special projects
  • Assisting with large course sections
  • Contributing to discipline-specific or clinical/fieldwork activities

Graduate Assistantships are part-time, paid positions that include both a stipend and tuition remission.

When are Graduate Assistantships Offered?

Graduate Assistantships (GAs) are offered during the Fall and Spring semesters only.

  • Appointments are semester-based
  • Students must reapply each semester

Please note that a limited number of assistantships are allocated to academic departments within each school each year.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for a Graduate Assistantship, a student must:

  1. Be fully admitted as a degree-seeking graduate student at Pace University at the time of appointment
  2. Maintain the required course load:
    • Full-time GA: minimum 6 graduate credits per semester
    • Part-time or quarter-time GA: minimum 3 graduate credits per semester
  3. Be in good academic standing (not on probation or at risk of dismissal)

Types of Graduate Assistantships Offered

Full-time Assistantship

  • Work Commitment: 20 hours/week for 15 weeks (300 total hours)
  • Compensation:
    • $5,100 stipend per semester (October 15–December 31, 2026)
    • Tuition remission for up to 6 credits (6-credit enrollment required)

Part-time Assistantship

  • Work Commitment: 10 hours/week for 15 weeks (150 total hours)
  • Compensation:
    • $2,550 stipend per semester (October 15–December 31, 2026)
    • Tuition remission for up to 3 credits (3-credit enrollment required)

Quarter-time Assistantship

  • Work Commitment: 5 hours/week for 15 weeks (75 total hours)
  • Compensation:
    • $1,275 stipend per semester (October 15–December 31, 2026)
    • Tuition remission for up to 1.5 credits (3-credit enrollment required)

Important Note on Tuition Remission

  • Total tuition benefits (including all aid) cannot exceed tuition charges
  • Tuition remission cannot be carried forward to another semester

Hiring Process

  1. Budget Review (Hiring Managers)
    Consult your School/College Budget Representative to confirm available funding for both stipend and tuition remission.
  2. Application Submission
    Students must submit an application or resume. Materials are available in the school’s Graduate Application Information Booklet.
  3. Selection Process
    Hiring Managers review applications, conduct interviews, and select candidates.
  4. Contract Submission
    Selected candidates will be processed through the NextGen online GA Contract Application system
  5. Training guides for this new process: How to Submit the Graduate Assistantship Contract (PDF); How to Approve as the Budget Rep (PDF); How to Access Submitted Forms in the Forms Portal (PDF)

Employment Restrictions

  • Graduate Assistants are classified as student workers
  • GAs cannot simultaneously hold a staff or faculty position (full-time or part-time) at Pace
  • GAs may hold additional student worker roles provided:
    • Total hours do not exceed 20 hours/week during the academic year
    • Total hours do not exceed 35 hours/week during breaks/summer
  • GAs are not eligible to receive a Pace Graduate Scholarship

Onboarding

Graduate Assistants must complete onboarding through the Human Resources Office before their start date.

Required Actions

  • Complete all new hire paperwork
  • Schedule an appointment with the HR team to present required documentation (e.g., Passport OR Social Security Card + Driver’s License)

Important: Students may not begin work until onboarding is complete. Failure to do so may result in delayed payment or revocation of the assistantship.

HR Office Locations

  • Westchester Campus:
    861 Bedford Road, Goldstein Academic, Pleasantville, NY
  • New York City Campus:
    161 William Street, 16th Floor, New York, NY

To make an appointment, please email talentac@pace.edu

Final Hiring Confirmation

Hiring Managers must confirm with Talent Acquisition that onboarding is completed prior to the GA’s start date: